10 Nuclear-Powered Superheroes and Supervillains (Video Slideshow)

In the 1940s and 50s, when comic books surged in popularity, a great number of superheroes had origin stories rooted in the fear of nuclear power gone wrong. Whether via spider bite, cosmic storm, or experiment gone wrong, these characters are transformed -- and not always for the better.

The 10 superheroes and supervillains here, chosen from many, are not relics of the Cold War's nuclear paranoia; more than half have appeared in major movies in the last decade. Scarred by radiation but are also empowered by it, they perfectly encapsulate modern society's hope for and fear of nuclear energy.